Overhead coverage gun mount



April 11, 1961 w, WARREN 2,978,961

OVERHEAD COVERAGE GUN MOUNT Filed Dec. 15. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR RAYMOND W. WARREN BY Maw Q/ZWW ATTORNEYS April 11, 1961 WARREN 2,978,961

OVERHEAD COVERAGE GUN MOUNT Filed Dec. 15. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

INVENTOR RAYMQND W. WARREN W ATTORNEYS 7 2,978,961 OVERHEAD COVERAGE GUN MOUNT Raymond W. Warren, McLean, Va'., a'ssignor to the Umted States of America as represented by the Secre- The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to improvements in mounts for guns, rocket launchers and the like, and more particularly to mounts for weapons movable in elevation and in train.

Inasmuch as the usual gun mounts designed for overhead coverage traverse on a vertical axis and the gun or guns elevate on a horizontal axis, these mounts have excessive rates of train and elevation when the target passes more or less directly overhead, and in the case of direct overhead passage of the target, these mounts have to make a 180 reversal in position in order to keep the gun on the target.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a gun mount permitting continuous overhead coverage of a target passing the zenith, without excessive rates of traverse and elevation.

Another important object is the provision of an improved mount having axes of traverse and elevation lying at right angles in a common plane so that the gun may be pointed in any direction and the target continuously followed through the zenith without abrupt reversal of the mount.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mount of the character described with traverse and elevation drive gear not liable to be damaged by shock deflections due to firing of the gun or guns carried by the mount.

A still further object is the provision of a mount journaling a gun on one end of a rotary shaft, and having a motor on the opposite end of the shaft for moving the gun and acting as a counterbalance.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side and end elevational views, respectively, of a twin gun mount constructed according to the present invention and showing the position of parts upon pointing of the guns directly overhead;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the twin gun mount illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical longitudinal section, taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2."

In the drawings, which for the purpose of illustration show only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the views, the numeral 10 generally designates the improved mount including a hollow pedestal 11 to be fixedly secured to a suitable supporting surface 12, such as that of a ship deck.

Supported horizontally for rotation at the upper end portion of the pedestal 11, as by suitable bearings 13,

. United States Patent Patented Apr. 11, 1961 13, is a generally hollow elevation shaft 14 rotatably supporting at one end portion 15 thereof a traverse axle 16 in the plane of the shaft 14 but at right angles thereto. Mounted on opposite ends of the traverse axle are receivers 17, 18 for gun barrels 19, 20, pointing in the same direction and making the weapon a twin mount.

Housed within the hollow elevation shaft 14 is the drive for pointing theguns in traverse, consisting of gearing zl terminating'in a worm are 22 fasten the traverse axle and actuable from'the" opposite end portion 23 of the elevation shaft 14 by aniotor 24 coaxially attached to the elevation shaft end. In addition to the convenience of attaching the motor on the elevation shaft end, by so locating it, the motor 24 serves at least partially to counterbalance the guns 19, 20 at the forward end of the elevation shaft.

Mounted inside the hollow pedestal 11 is a motor 25 driving a gear train 26 terminating in an are 27 affixed to the elevation shaft 14-at the lower side of its end portion 23.

Since the guns and the traverse drive therefor are carried by the elevation shaft 14, there will not be any relative motion between the components of the traverse drive when the mount is driven in elevation.

The arcs 22 and 27 for the traverse and elevation drives are so mounted that deflections due to firing of the guns will tend to separate rather than jam the gear members.

From the foregoing description it is evident that, in order to follow a target passing directly overhead in a vertical plane normal to or in alignment'with the longitudinal axis of the elevation shaft 14, it is only necessary to motivate the elevation drive or the traverse drive, respectively. For other directions of travel of the target overhead or at high angles of elevation, the desired target following movement ofthe. guns may be achieved by simultaneous motivation of both drives at proper speed ratio. If desired, the elevation shaft 14 may be so mounted as to pitch upward relative to the deck or other support.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An overhead coverage gun mount which provides continuous tracking coverage along an overhead path from horizon to horizon and passing through the zenith comprising a pedestal, an elevation shaft supported by the pedestal for rotation about its longitudinal axis through an angle of at least a traverse axle supported for rotation about its longitudinal axis through an angle of at least 180 by said elevation shaft, the longitudinal axis of said elevation shaft and the longitudinal axis of said traverse axle being disposed innormal relationship to one another and in a common plane, means carried by said traverse axle for receiving agun, means rotating the elevation shaft relative to the pedestal, and means rotating the traverse axle relative to the elevation shaft.

2. A gun mount providing continuous coverage through an overhead hemisphere with the gun located at the geometrical center comprising; a pedestal, a shaft extending laterally from the pedestal and mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis through anangle of at least 180, a gun journaled at the end of the shaft for continuous movement through an angle of at least 180 in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, means for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis and means for swinging the gun about its journal, whereby the gun may move continuously from horizon to horizon and through zenith without interruption.

sprees-1 3. An overhead coverage gun mount comprising a pedestal, an elevation shaft laterally supported by said pedestal and rotatable through an angle of at least 180, a traverse axle supported by said elevation shaft at one extremity thereof and rotatable through an angle of at least 180", gun receiving means carried by said traverse axle, rotation means for said elevation shaft, androtation means for said traverse axle carried by said elevation shaft at the other extremity thereof so that the Weight of said gun receiving means is at least partially counterbalanced.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said rotation means for said traverse axle includes gearing carried internally by said elevation shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

